This is a blog about living on Cape Cod and running a Wellfleet bed & breakfast, open year long. I'm a Russian-American who spent 25 years in France. My husband Sven is from Sweden. Sweden’s colors are blue & yellow. Mix them, and you get green, a concept we embrace. No toxic chemicals, please, and organic food whenever possible . . .

Saturday, August 28, 2010

How very much stuff people have these days! Every time I go to the beach, usually in late afternoon, I'm struck by what has been carried onto the beach. When we arrive, usually folks are trying to fit it all back into an SUV. The trunk is wide open. The owners stand in back of the car, as if confronting a giant jigsaw puzzle. The husband scratches his head. It all fit in before. Why doesn't it fit in now? Usually the stuff includes a cooler, at least one boogey board, beach chairs, assorted tote bags. Beach umbrella, towels, blanket. What did I forget? Ah, yes. Wet suits. Judging from the number of adults and kids who now venture into the ocean dressed in black, this outfit has become indispensable to the well-dressed beach-goer. Paddle ball equipment, football, or Frisbee. What else? First aid kit. You never know when that might come in handy. Boom box. Pail and shovel. Assorted baby items, if there's a baby or toddler. Should a barbecue on the beach be planned and a permit for a bonfire have been acquired, bundle of kindling and several logs, sometimes transported by wheelbarrow or shopping cart. I have seen all this stuff carried onto the beach. Makes me feel completely naked. All I take is my camera ...